Sigh of relief as Nakuru County employs 498 ECD teachers

Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika during the award of employment letters to ECDE teachers. [Daniel Kariuki, Standard]

Nakuru County has employed 498 Early Childhood Development teachers on a permanent and pensionable basis.

The move is in line with the County’s strategy aimed at bridging the gap between the teacher–pupil ratio.

Speaking during the awarding of employment letters to the teachers on Saturday, Governor Susan Kihika noted that despite her efforts to ensure there are enough teachers, the number of pupils has increased due to the Lishe na Mama programme.

Through this initiative, she said the county government provides porridge to pupils at the ECDEs.

Governor Kihika said that the number of children registered under County ECDEs has risen from 58,000 to 65,000 since she took office.

So dire is the situation in some schools that the ratio of teachers to pupils is 1 to 175 instead of 1 to 25.

The governor attributed this to increased construction of ECDEs, saying that she has constructed 127 new classrooms as well as rehabilitated another 73.

She also said 65 schools that had been closed due to a lack of pupils have also been reopened after parents enrolled pupils.

Kihika also laid out a new vision for ECDE centres in Nakuru, calling for well-equipped facilities with at least two classrooms, standalone toilets, water tanks, child-friendly décor, and play areas with swings.

“Currently, there are no more ‘hall-like structures,” she said.

Virginia Wanjiru from Mirera ECDE in Naivasha expressed gratitude to the county government, saying that the move had given her confidence to face the future and do better in her work, because her fears of being laid off had been allayed.

According to the Nakuru Education CEC Ziporrah Wanjiru, among the 498 teachers who got their employment letters, 192 were employed during the 2024/2025 financial year.